A/N: Well here's the final chapter of the story, for anyone still following. It's been bugging me that I didn't finish it, so I worked hard to get it out. It gets a little bit sappy at the end, but I hope you like it, and thank you for reading!
A year went by in a whirl. Kurama and Chloe got engaged several months after the reunion in Japan. Carmen and Alexei disappeared less than a month after the run in at the café. Eric quietly opened a club and always had free drinks for Chloe and Kurama whenever they decided to stop by…
Chloe stared at her drink, lost in her own thoughts.
"You're thinking about Carmen, aren't you?" Eric spoke quietly from across the table.
Kurama sipped his own drink, his green eyes flickering to Chloe's pensive face.
She tapped her glass with one finger. "As a matter of fact I was. Did you know she never said good-bye?"
"Only friends feel the need to say a farewell." Kurama set down his drink.
She smiled faintly. "You're right, of course."
Eric leaned forward. "No matter how she acts sometimes, Carmen cares about you guys. You're the closest things to friends she's had in decades. She must have had her reasons for leaving like she did."
Chloe nodded and downed the rest of her drink. "I suppose. If I didn't understand her then, why would I now?" She shrugged. "Wanna dance?" She smiled flirtatiously at Kurama. He was about to decline, but she simply grabbed his hand and pulled him along.
Eric watched them go. He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, a lazy smile creeping across his face.
"You know, you could at least have set up a classier joint."
Carmen suddenly stood beside him, grinning cattishly. He glanced at her and shook his head. "Well I'll be darned. You returned to the scene of your crime."
"Crime? Not hardly. But yes, we have returned." Carmen guided Alexei to one of the stools, and then leaned on his leg once he was seated. "I see you guys have been having a little reunion. Without us though, I'm almost hurt."
Eric snorted. "You really thought that those two would invite you to a get together? Chloe isn't sure what to feel about you, even now, and Kurama….well, we know how he feels about you."
Carmen chuckled. "Yeah, he's never tried to disguise that."
"You surely don't make it easy for people who don't know you to like you." Eric pointed out casually, his eyebrows raised archly. Alexei slid his hand down Carmen's arm until he found her hand, which he then squeezed gently. She was silent for only a moment. "Only one who has lived the life I have could understand why I don't make friends."
"I know, I know. You should remember, I've seen a lot of those years." Eric sipped his drink, pausing when he saw Carmen's eyes rivet on something by the front door. He turned his head, but all he could see was a bunch of guys had just entered the bar. "Carmen, what do you-"
"Shh…" She held up her hand as she walked past him towards the door.
Out on the dance floor Chloe had her arms entwined behind Kurama's neck. "You know, I never thought I could be this happy after I lost my family." She spoke into his ear. He smiled slightly and kissed her cheek. "I'm happy to hear that you are happy." He happened to glance towards the door, and caught sight of Carmen walking towards the men. "Impossible…" He exclaimed, without even realizing he said it.
Chloe pulled her head back. "Impossible? What's impossible?"
"Oh, nothing." He recovered, hoping Carmen simply walked straight out the door. They didn't need her back in their lives. Then he saw Alexei; she wouldn't be going anywhere, unfortunately.
Carmen walked to the men, speaking softly as she said "Excuse me, excuse me." She pushed to the middle. In the center was a young man. Blonde, clean shaven, not unhandsome. She moved in close to him, looking coyly up into his eyes. "My name's Carmen. What's yours?"
"Nick. My name's Nick…" He trailed off, a strange look coming over his face. "I'm sorry, I'm supposed to be meeting someone here."
Carmen nodded. "That would be me. Come on, I'm just dying to dance."
Kurama guided Chloe back towards the table; she stopped short when she saw Alexei sitting in one of the chairs. "That's Alexei, isn't it?" She whispered, her brows furrowed. Kurama concealed the frustration on his face. "Yes it is. Carmen is here." He felt her grip his hand a little tighter before returning to the table. "Hello again Alexei." She slid onto one of the stools.
"Good evening." Alexei nodded, his unseeing eyes looking over her shoulder. "How are you?"
She cleared her throat. "I'm fine, thanks for asking. How are you?"
"Better than the last time you saw me. Cailyn has been trying to heal me; it's slow going, but there is some progress. I don't need a cane anymore." He smiled.
Chloe tilted her head, studying his face. She could understand what Carmen saw in him; he had a sweet smile, a gentle smile, yet somehow a very strong smile. Her eyes slid past him to the dance floor. She saw a familiar lithe form weaving her way through the crowd. "What is she doing?" The words were out before she realized she was speaking; all eyes turned towards the dance floor.
Eric's smile tightened imperceptibly when he saw her start swaying with her partner. He wasn't sure, but.. "That looks a hell of a lot like Nick." He muttered, tapping his fingers on his glass nervously.
"It is." Alexei spoke up now. "She came to meet him."
"And dance with him, apparently." Kurama couldn't help adding, Carmen's intimate dancing almost causing him to blush.
Alexei smiled a half smile. "She's doing what she needs to. Trust me, she would rather be anywhere but out there with him."
Chloe's eyebrows shot up and one of the goddess' moves. "Alexei, I'm sorry to be rude, but…seriously, what do you see in her?" She swallowed hard in the ensuing silence.
Alexei leaned back in his chair. "I'm not sure what you mean." He replied quietly.
Chloe charged ahead, knowing if she stopped and thought then she wouldn't have the courage to ask this burning question. "I mean she's selfish, enigmatic, sadistic, a know-it-all, and she looks out for herself and herself only. You seem so much the opposite of her, how can you love her?"
Alexei chuckled. "That's your opinion of her? I guess that's the person she's decided to be right now. Well, when you put it like that, I can understand why you would question our relationship. But you forget that I have known Cailyn for a very, very long time. She is good, kind, and caring. Her actions may have you confused, but I know her – I trust her completely."
Chloe could hardly keep from snickering. "Kind? Caring? Honestly Alexei, those are probably the last two adjectives I would ever have used to describe Carmen."
"Chloe, has Eric or Cailyn ever told you that she can see the futures?"
Eric smiled awkwardly when Chloe looked at him in astonishment. "Guess it slipped my mind."
Chloe shook her head. "They definitely left that part out. But what do you mean 'futures'?"
"The future is uncertain. At any given moment there a variety of paths that could be taken, all leading to different outcomes. She can see any or all of them, if she chooses. So anything she does is for a good reason, whether you realize it yet or not."
"What gives her the right to choose which directions our lives lead us in? And why doesn't she just warn us of some impending doom? She's never so much as hinted that her or our actions will lead to a certain place."
Eric broke in. "She created much of this world, if you will recall. She can't say anything about what she sees – if she does, what she warns against will surely happen, and in reverse if she promises something will happen, it certainly won't. All she can do is try to steer things one way or another on her own."
Out on the dance floor, the music changed to a slower beat. Carmen put her hands around Nick's neck as they danced slowly as one body. "I imagine you're wondering why I contacted you to meet me."
He nodded. "I'm still not sure how you got my phone number, or why you asked me here."
A sardonic smile spread across her face. "Nick, I asked you here so I could see your face when you realize who I am."
He looked confused, and unsure if she was playing around or about to say something really bad. "I'm sorry, I have no clue who you are."
"Well, in just a second you will look like you've seen a ghost." She pulled his head down so her lips brushed his ear. "They call me Carmen now, but a long, long time ago … I was known as Cailyn."
He shoved her away from himself and stumbled back a couple of steps, his face white. "I-impossible!"
She smiled sweetly. "I know, you thought that eventually those traders would rape me to death. But I was stronger than you supposed. And, it turns out, the reason for that goes back to what I was originally known as: the goddess Kyrie."
If possible, Nick turned even whiter. His lips moved, but no sound come from his lips.
Carmen laughed and moved in close to him. "I've watched over you until now, because I wanted you to live with the pain and shame of everything you've done. But I no longer care about you; I no longer hate you. So go jump into an abyss for all I care. I am happy – you will never be able to be happy again. Leave my sight now, but remember this: you failed. You lost me, you lost the war, you have lost everything." She turned to go, but then turned back once more. "One question – did you ever feel anything for me?"
Nick was silent for a long minute, his jaw clenching and unclenching. "Yes." He said finally.
Carmen laughed harshly. "You've become a really bad liar Nick. Good-bye, forever. And here's some food for thought – if you hadn't sold me, I never would have betrayed you. You underestimated my loyalty. You could have been ruler forever if not for you selling me off to die. Chew on that, you pathetic waste of flesh." She strode back to the table, picking up the nearest drink and downing it.
"What happened out there?" Chloe blurted out.
Carmen chuckled. "I unleashed a millennium's worth of fury on a worthless piece of shit. Oh well. I've done stupider things. Let's get out of here Alexei." She pulled him off his seat and they weaved their way towards the door.
Chloe sighed. "And like that, she's gone again. Is she always like that Eric?"
He shrugged. "There are some things she just can't change about herself, even after a few millennia." He lifted his drink to his lips, but paused as his eyes focused on Nick, still out on the dance floor. But now he was on a cell phone, his eyes blazing with anger. Suddenly he turned on his heel and headed for the door - as did the guys who had come in with him.
Carmen and Alexei strolled down the street, arm in arm. "Do you feel better now that you've gotten that off your chest?"
Carmen shrugged. "I suppose so. Relieved would be a better way to describe it – I mean, I've wanted to say those words to him for so long now. I've wasted so much energy and thought on him up until this point." She smiled here. "Now I can finally put that energy to a better use." She turned and planted a kiss on her mate. He wrapped her snugly in his arms.
Suddenly they both paused. Carmen's eyes flashed open. "Move!" She shoved against Alexei's chest, sending him tumbling backwards. An arrow embedded itself in her abdomen; if she hadn't shoved Alexei it would have hit him instead. "Bad move!" Carmen snarled, yanking the arrow out and tossing it away. "You really think you can take down a goddess?!" She yelled, her whole body glowing blue with her anger. She saw Alexei struggling to his feet, and at the same moment she became acutely aware of the fireball streaking towards him. She leapt and intercepted it, a hoarse yell leaving her mouth as the flames burned her flesh.
"Carmen!" Alexei yelled, scrambling towards her voice.
Carmen rolled quickly on the ground, extinguishing the remaining flames. She could smell burning flesh, and she knew it was her own. "Cowards!" She exclaimed. "If you had any honor you would show yourselves!"
"No need to yell at them – they're just obeying my orders." Nick stepped into her line of vision, his face full of tightly controlled rage.
Carmen smirked. "You found yourself another little army, did you Nick? I see you still prefer to oversee a battle – not actually fight in it. Wouldn't want to spill your precious blood." In a flash she jumped between Alexei and another arrow, this one tearing through her thigh. She stumbled a bit, but recovered herself momentarily. "You fools." She laughed loudly. "You think I don't know exactly what you are doing? Too bad you chose to follow that trash." She motioned to Nick. "Now you are going to die." She swiped some blood from her leg and slammed her hand down on the ground.
Flames shot out from her hand in all directions, curving around the crouching Alexei. Trees and surrounding buildings exploded in fire in an instant, and yells could be heard as the flames found their targets.
Carmen's eyes looked for Nick, but he was nowhere to be seen. Carmen grabbed Alexei's hand and started running, the flames at her feet parting like water before them. Before she had taken three steps another, larger arrow lodged itself in her back, dangerously close to her spine. She stumbled, but kept running. But seconds later Alexei's leg buckled and he crashed to the ground with a cry. Carmen whipped around and crouched at his side, her eyes darting around quickly. Obviously there were archers not in the immediate vicinity. And they were all gunning for Alexei – her weakness. She could dodge anything they threw at her, but if they aimed at Alexei … it was a good strategy, if suicidal. She slid her arms under his armpits and helped him to his feet.
"I've got to get you out of here." She spoke quietly, every sense on the alert for the next attack.
Alexei nodded, closing his eyes against the heat around them. His own heightened senses were starting to pick things up now. "Behind me!" He pulled Carmen down with him to the ground, a bolt of lightning barely missing their heads. Carmen pulled Alexei's hand to the arrow in her back; wordlessly he pulled it straight out and dropped it on the ground. She pulled him up to his feet alongside her, letting him lean on her shoulder. His leg was strong, but not strong enough to run out of this.
"Carmen!" Eric yelled, stopping short at the edge of the massive fire.
Carmen's yellow eyes whipped around to him. "We're going to run to Eric. No matter what, you run towards his voice, got it?" She grabbed Alexei's hand and sprinted, the flames growing into walls on either side of them.
Kurama had stopped several feet behind Eric. Silently he slid into the shadows of the building and began moving along the edges of the fire, his green eyes alert as he searched for attackers.
Eric stood as close to the fire as he dared, his arms ready to catch Alexei.
Carmen felt Alexei stumble at her side. Before he fell she threw an arm behind and shoved, sending him hurtling towards Eric.
Eric braced and caught the flying demon, stumbling back a few steps to break the impact. "I've got you." He said hurriedly, sitting him on the ground gently. Alexei groaned and grabbed his leg. "Help her Eric." He gritted his teeth and shielded his eyes from the flames. Eric shook his head. "She can handle herself. Besides, she will kill me if I leave you unprotected."
Once she saw that Eric had Alexei, she stopped running and whirled around. She extended one hand, palm up. All the flames drew towards her, leaping up into her hand and disappearing, leaving charred buildings and scorched earth in its wake. Carmen closed her fist around the last of the fire, extinguishing it. "Now we can play." She murmured, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. An arrow shot out of the darkness, aimed for her shoulder. But it was stopped inches from her flesh by her hand grabbing the shaft. "Foolish." Her blue eyes flew open and a beam of blue light shot from her body.
Not a minute later a body fell off a far off rooftop.
"What's happening?" Alexei asked, his blind eyes searching the darkness.
Eric swallowed. "She's tapped into her goddess powers. The gods help them now, they don't stand a chance. I hope Nick warned them this was a suicide mission." He snatched a knife from his hip and knocked away an arrow. "We have to get you somewhere more protected." He pulled Alexei's arm over his shoulder and hoisted him, running quickly to the nearest building and set him against the brick.
Carmen swayed back and forth, humming a lilting tune over and over to herself. Suddenly she stopped, and a smile turned up the corner of her mouth. "Gotcha." Blue light shot out from her in all directions. A minute later a dozen yells could be heard, only to be suddenly, eerily silent.
"Oh Niiiick. Come out, come out, wherever you are..." Carmen sang in a sing-song, strolling forward a few steps.
Kurama paused in the darkness of a doorway. Through a couple windows he could see Nick in the alleyway next to the building. He was crouched low to the ground, writing something on the ground. He placed one hand on the ground. It glowed green for a moment then disappeared. Kurama followed Nick's eyes as he followed the ground with his eyes, then settled his triumphant gaze on Carmen. Suddenly vines burst from the ground around Nick, wrapping themselves tightly around him. He yelled and thrashed, his eyes furious.
Carmen looked towards the sound.
"Carmen!" Eric yelled as he saw the ground beneath her starting to glow. She looked at him and smiled. An explosion of green light enveloped her, so bright that everyone had to shield their eyes from it.
Alexei could smell burning flesh. "What's happening?!" He demanded of Eric, gripping his arm tightly.
The light dissipated a minute later, revealing a bent-over figure, charred beyond recognition.
Kurama looked at the still figure that had been Carmen, hardly daring to breath. Had Nick just…
Slowly the figure straightened up, groaning as it did so.
"Cailyn!" Alexei yelled, scrambling to his feet. Eric grabbed him to stop him. "Wait!" He ordered, breathlessly.
A blue light began swirling around the figure's feet, and slowly the black become flesh again. The light circled up the entire body, seeming inch up ever so slowly. All eyes were riveted to the wonder happening before their very eyes. It seemed to take an eternity, but there she was. Carmen stood before them once more, skin and clothing perfect and whole. She took a deep breath and smiled again. "You thought you could kill a goddess, did you?" In a flash was standing in front of Nick, her hand on his throat.
He gasped, his eyes filling with fear.
Carmen lifted her free hand, which was beginning to glow blue. "Nick-"
"Stop!"
All eyes turned towards Chloe. When she had come no one knew, but she was panting as if she had been running. She ran over to Carmen. "Don't do this, don't kill him."
Carmen raised an eyebrow. "I have many compelling reasons to end his existence." She snarled, her blue eyes flashing.
"He's helpless right now. If you kill him it's murder!" Chloe snapped, balling her fists up. "Eric and Alexei keep telling me to believe in you, that you are good at your core. This is me, begging you to prove it to me!"
"Why does his life matter to you so much?" Carmen hissed.
Chloe lifted her chin. "It doesn't. Yours does. I'm trying to keep you from another regret – you have enough."
Carmen's body relaxed a little. She looked back at Nick, and released his throat. "You may have your life." She said finally, her voice a little strained. "But not your immortality. That I take back from you." A wave of blue washed over Nick and then disappeared into Carmen's body.
Kurama's vines released the demon, who collapsed to the ground. He felt so weak all of a sudden.
Carmen crouched in front of him. "The only reason you have lived this long is that I made you immortal – I didn't want you dying at any hand other than my own, even mother nature's. I gave it you out vengeance." Her eyes softened a little, and she whispered the next words only to his ears. "I take it back out of mercy. I…I forgive you." She stood and walked from him. She would never set eyes upon him again.
Chloe looked at Kurama, then at Carmen. She honestly hadn't been sure that Carmen would listen to her. Maybe, just maybe, Eric and Alexei had been right, all along.
Carmen closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, they were their normal yellow. She marched straight to Alexei and planted a kiss on his lips, her hands gripping the front of his shirt.
Kurama put his arm around Chloe's shoulder and they walked back over to the rest of the group. She looked up at a window, where Kali stood, and nodded to her ever so slightly.
Carmen pulled back from Alexei and turned around to face Kurama and Chloe. "Thank you. Both of you." She looked from Chloe to Kurama. "But don't expect to ever hear those words from my lips again." She threatened playfully, letting Alexei's searching fingers entwine with her own. She caught sight of Kali out of the corner of her eye. "Look, why don't you all head back and get some drinks going. I'll catch up with you in a minute."
"I'll stay." Alexei squeezed her hand.
She shook her head. "Go with Eric. I need a minute alone." She kissed his hand put his arm around Eric's shoulder.
Chloe looked over her shoulder once at Carmen as they walked away, and smiled a little. Perhaps they could be friends now. Perhaps.
Carmen waited till they were out of sight before waving Kali down. "What do you want?" She sighed, rubbing the back of her neck tiredly.
Kali smiled as she strolled over. "You do know Nick will try to kill you again one day, right?"
Carmen nodded. "I know, I know. I will cross that bridge when I come to it."
"Of course you will. Oh, I also wanted to congratulate you. You haven't slipped up once throughout this entire thing."
Carmen raised an eyebrow. "Slipped up? What do you- Oh. That." Her lips curled in disgust.
Kali laughed. "Still not happy about your son marrying their daughter, are you?"
Carmen glared at her. "My son will be numbered among the gods. He should be so far out of her league. And yet…" She shook her head dolefully.
Kali laughed again. "Ah well, you never know. The future is uncertain at best."
Carmen snorted. "You know as well as I that that is the only outcome of Kurama marrying Chloe and me being with Alexei. The future is very set on that point."
"Just remember – you could do worse for in-laws than friends." Kali smiled playfully.
Carmen shook her head and straightened up. "Thankfully, that won't happen for a while yet. I've got time to adjust."
Chloe stared up into Kurama's green eyes. He smiled back her. She couldn't believe this was happening. She was marrying the man of her dreams. She looked out at the crowd for a moment. Her aunt and uncle were sitting in the front row – her aunt was crying. Shuiichi's family was on the other side – his mother was crying. Carmen and Alexei sat beside each other, holding hands. Eric lounged on the other side of Carmen, grinning. All her family and friends were here.
She looked back up at Kurama. "We're going to have an exciting life." She whispered.
He chuckled. "Be careful what you wish for."
She smiled when the preacher announced that Kurama could kiss his bride. "I love you."
"I love you too."